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Press Release

U.S. under Secretary of Commerce Grant D. Aldonas to Visit Taiwan April 11Th –12Th

U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Grant D. Aldonas will visit Taiwan April 11th –12th as part of a two-week trip to Asia during which he also traveled to China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Under Secretary Aldonas, the highest ranking Bush Administration official to visit Taiwan, will meet with President Chen Shui-bian and Vice Premier Lin Hsin-I as well as other key Taiwan Ministers including Minister for Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu, Mainland Affairs Council Chair Tsai Ing-wen, and a wide range of U.S. and Taiwan business representatives.

“This is my first trip to Taiwan, and I am eager to experience first-hand how a strong civil society can go hand-in-hand with economic development and entrepreneurial success,” said Under Secretary Aldonas. “I’m here to ensure that this new chapter in our commercial relationship opens on a favorable note,” said Aldonas.

The purpose of his visit is to congratulate Taiwan on its recent World Trade Organization (WTO) accession, discuss the importance of maintaining open markets, encourage compliance with WTO trade laws and promote broader understanding among the people of Taiwan of bilateral and multilateral trade issues.

The United States and Taiwan enjoy a two-way trade relationship worth approximately $52 billion in 2001. Taiwan is the United States’ ninth largest trading partner and tenth largest export market.